The Avatar: The Last Airbender Guide to Mary Sues
by theweirdperson
Summary: The unofficial guide on how to make sure your original character is not a Mary Sue.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender_

_Disclaimer Two: I am not an expert on Mary Sues, nor do I claim to be. This guide was written for amusement purposes, and will hopefully be of some small use to writers as well._

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a rather popular show, and a lot of fanfiction writers adopt it as the fandom of choice to write about. Often, these authors will create original characters (abbreviated OCs) to include in their fanfic. However, because these OCs are their own, personal creation, the author forms a sort of 'bond' to them, and may even see them as an author surrogate of sorts. The temptation to make them extremely gifted, powerful, or perfect is strong. However, giving in to the temptation will usually result in what is called a Mary Sue or Gary Stu. This guide is intended to help authors determine whether their OC may in fact fall into Mary Sue territory.

You might need to rethink your original character if:

1. They're uber-benders

_Shay, although she was only eleven, was the greatest Waterbender of her tribe. She was capable of creating huge whirlpools and tidal waves without even breaking a sweat._

First off, Shay isn't likely to have that level of skill at the tender age of eleven. Even if she does have the capability to become a great Waterbender, she'll probably still need training to reach her full potential. Furthermore, this level of power looks like Aang in the Avatar State, so it isn't likely that she'd be able to do this sort of thing even after recieving extensive training (at least not without the aid of a whole group of Waterbenders).

2. They're multi-benders

_Mako, a farm boy from the Earth Kingdom, woke up early in the morning and went out to feed and water the ostrich-horses before he began Earthbending training. As he neared the well, on impulse he waved his hand and a great jet of water came shooting out of the well! "Egad!" he exclaimed. "I'm a Waterbender and an Earthbender!"_

This just doesn't happen in the world of Avatar. The only person who can bend more than one element is the Avatar.

3. They're the 'other' Avatar

_"Hello!" Tara said brightly as she walked over to where Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph were sitting. "You must be the Avatar! Guess what? I'm an Avatar too!" She demonstrated by twirling a stream of water from Katara's canteen, flinging a rock that was lying on the ground, emitting a burst of flame from her hand, and making a breeze blow over the group._

The mechanics of the world in which Avatar takes place simply does not allow this. There's only one Avatar at a time. No more.

4. They're another Airbender

_Shane walked down the road as he thought. So there was another survivor of the Air Nomads, and he was the one said to be the Avatar. Interesting. He used his Airbending skills to increase his speed, rushing forth. He would soon learn if it was true._

The show's title is Avatar: the _Last _Airbender. As in, he's the only one. There are no others. Capice?

5. They have abilities not found in the world of Avatar

_Janna focused her mind and began to read the boy's mind. She discovered that he was from the Southern Water Tribe, and was good with a boomerang._

The only real 'powers' in this world are the four bending disciplines and, possibly, prophecy. Adding new ones will reduce the credibility of your story.

6. They make other canon characters fall instantly in love with them.

_Lilac smiled prettily and curtsied, her beautiful brown hair flowing in the breeze. "My name is Lilac, your majesty."_

_Prince Zuko was taken aback by her amazing beauty. "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever met. All thoughts of chasing down the Avatar have fled my mind upon beholding your lovely face."_

Does Zuko strike you as someone who's about to fall in love at the drop of a hat? I don't really think so. Relationships take time to develop.

Hopefully, you've found this guide helpful to you. Thank you for reading, and happy writing!


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